Switch operator for lamp tables



March 1948. H. c ENGELBRECHT 2,437,809

SWITH OPERATOR FOR LAMP TABLES Filed Nov. 26, 1945 5 y GD E M 5 X g .M

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dtt ozze 1 4 Patented Mar. 16, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SWITCH ()PERATOR FOR LAMP TABLES Henry C. Engelbreoht, Carthage, Mo. Application November 26, 1945, Serial No. 630,916

2 Claims.

The invention relates to tables, desks and similar pieces of furniture which serve to support an electric lamp, and has for its principal object to provide an improved construction thereof which will facilitate control of the electric circult of such lamp.

In t e dark it is usually less difficult for one to locate a lamp support such as a table or desk than it is to find the push button, key or other switch actuating element of the lamp socket, and it is a further object of the invention to provide a lamp supporting piece of furniture equipped with means whereby, once such piece of furniture is located in the dark, the lamp ma be quickly lighted without fumbling for the control element of the socket switch.

More specifically therefore, the invention comprises a piece of furniture for supporting a lamp and having a top or similar planar element provided with a manually operable pivoted member at least partially encircling the same and having operating connections with electric switch mounted on the piece of furniture and included in the circuit of the lamp. Thus, upon locating the piece of furniture in the dark, it is only necessary to depress the pivoted member at the edge of the planar element to secure lighting of the lamp.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, a night table has been chosen to illustrate a typical application of the invention.

In the said drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of such table;

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, partly broken away and in section; and

Fig, 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view, on approximately the plane indicated by the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the said drawing, the table itself is more or less conventional, comprising legs 5 and a rectangular top '5 supported thereby. The lamp 1 may merely rest upon the table top 6, but preferably it is rigidly attached thereto as by a nut 3 threaded upon the lower end of the lamp standard 9. Electric current from a wall outlet ill is supplied to the lamp by the usual flexible cord H, at least one wire of which is connected to an electric switch l2 which may be conveniently mounted on the rear rail l 3 of the table.

Surrounding and in proximity to the perimetric edge of the table top 5, is a band or rim member M which is pivotally connected to the table as at I5 for vertical oscillation. This member has an appropriate operating connection 16 with the actuating element ll of the switch 12, This switch, as here shown, is of the toggle variety but this is merely illustrative and any other suitable form of switch may be employed.

Upon locating the table in the dark it is merely necessary to depress the forward portion of the rim member M- to eiiect lighting of the lamp 7, as this elevates the rearward portion (as indicated in broken lines in Fig. 8) and through connection 25 moves the switch lever E7 to close the electric circuit. Extinguishment of the lamp of course may be efiected by reverse movement of the member i l. The light socket of lamp 7 thus need not be provided with a co ol switch, but if it is, such switch of course should be left in its circuit closing position.

The rim member it may be of such depth that its top surface is normally flush with the surface of the table top 5, or as here shown the said member may extend somewhat above the surface of top 6 providing a decorative utilitarian bead around the perimeter of the said top. While the top 3 is here shown as square, obviously it and member i l maybe of other conformations, e. g. oval or circular, without aiiecting operation of the device.

What is claimed is:

i. In a piece of furniture of the table type, having an elevated planar element constituting a support for an electric lamp, the combination of switch for controlling lamp circuit. mounted on the piece of furniture adia-cent said planar element; a rim member disposed along the edge of said planer element and leaving the supporting surface thereof expose-d, said rim member being mounted for vertical movement relative to the element; and operating connections between said rim member and switch, whereby the latter may be actuated through movements of the former.

2. In a piece of furniture of the table type, having an elevated planar element constituting a support for an electric lamp, the combination of a switch for controllin the lamp circuit, mounted on the piece of furniture; an annular rim member encircling the edge of said planar element and leaving the supporting surface of the latter exposed, said rim member being pivotally mounted on the planar element for movements relative thereto; and connections between said rim member and switch, whereby the latter may be actuated through manually induced movements of the former,

HENRY C. ENGELBRECHT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,493,106 Collins May 6, 1924 2,102,224 Ruppel Dec. 14, 1937 

